


The Measure of a Man

by Bofur1



Series: The Songs of Our Hearts [5]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bullying, Gen, Victimized Kíli
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-10
Updated: 2013-07-10
Packaged: 2017-12-18 08:59:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/878019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Bofur1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kíli is constantly teased, and when Thorin finds out he teaches his nephew an important lesson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Measure of a Man

Thorin strode down the hall of Dís’s home. His younger sister had been sick with worry when Kíli had burst into the house, run straight to his room and slammed the door. When Thorin reached for the handle to Kíli’s room, he found, as expected, that it was locked.

“Kíli?” Thorin called, rapping softly on the door.

A muffled, hoarse voice replied. “What?”

“Let me in, Kíli. Your ama and brother and I are worried for you. I want to talk.”

After a long pause Thorin heard the lock shift. Kíli stood behind the threshold. His cheeks and nose were red, and his mouth was pressed in a thin line. Thorin stepped past him and his nephew slammed the door and locked it again. Thorin sat on Kíli’s bed and patted his lap. Reluctantly Kíli obeyed, crawling onto Thorin’s knee.

“What’s wrong?” Thorin asked gently.

Kíli swallowed hard. “The other...” He took a deep breath. “The other children make fun of me.”

“The children in town?”

Kíli nodded. “They say I have a big head, but that it’s mostly empty, except for a few moths flying around inside. And they call me short, even for a Dwarf.” Tears began trailing down his cheeks again, creating rivulets on his skin. “And...th-they say that even though I’m a prince they still get to tease me because I’m p-poor like them!”

Thorin hugged his nephew close, and Kíli sobbed into his coat. “Kíli,” Thorin whispered softly. “You are a blessed child of Mahal, just as they are. You are not defined by what others think of you.”

“If Mahal cares, why didn’t he make me bigger, or smarter? Why doesn’t He help us get more money?” Kíli asked, sniffing as he stared up at his uncle. Thorin would know the answers he craved. He had to!

Thorin was quiet for a long moment. “I know of a boy who once asked the same questions you are asking now.”

“Who was it?”

“My younger brother, Frerin. He was constantly teased for his size, and his intelligence, and everything else. In fact,” Thorin gazed intently at his nephew. “You look rather like him.”

“That may not be a good thing,” Kíli sighed sadly.

“Just listen, nephew. The other children wouldn’t dare tease me, because I was the crown prince. So they bullied my brother.”

“What happened?”

“He came crying to me one day, and asked me why, why wasn’t he bigger, smarter, richer.” Thorin’s eyes shone with memory, or tears; perhaps both. “And this is what I told him...”

 

 _This world can analyze and size you up_  
 _And throw you on the scales_  
 _They can IQ you and run you through_  
 _Their rigorous details_  
 _They can do their best to rate you_  
 _And they'll place you on their charts_  
 _And then back it up with scientific smarts_  
  
 _But there's more to what you're worth_  
 _Than what their human eyes can see_  
  
 _Oh I say the measure of a man_  
 _Is not how tall you stand_  
 _How wealthy or intelligent you are_  
 _'Cause I found out the measure of a man_  
 _Mahal knows and understands_  
 _For He looks inside to the bottom of your heart_  
 _And what's in the heart defines_  
 _The measure of a man_  
  
 _Well you can doubt your worth_  
 _And search for who you are and where you stand_  
 _But Mahal made you in His image_  
 _When He formed you in His hands_  
 _And He looks at you with mercy_  
 _And He sees you through His love_  
 _You're His child and that will always be enough_  
  
 _For there's more to what your worth_  
 _Than you could ever comprehend_  
  
 _Oh I say the measure of a man_  
 _Is not how tall you stand_  
 _How wealthy or intelligent you are_  
 _'Cause I found out the measure of a man_  
 _Mahal knows and understands_  
 _For He looks inside to the bottom of your heart_  
 _And what's in the heart defines_  
 _The measure of a man_  
  
 _You can spend your life pursuing physical perfection_  
 _But there's so much more, more than ever meets the eye_  
 _For Mahal looks through the surface_  
 _And he defines your worth by what is on the inside_  
   
 _I say the measure of a man_  
 _Is not how tall you stand_  
 _How wealthy or intelligent you are_  
 _'Cause I found out the measure of a man_  
 _Mahal knows and understands_  
 _For He looks inside to the bottom of your heart_  
 _And what's in the heart defines_  
 _The measure of a man_

 

 

 

* * *

 

“Uncle Thorin!”

Thorin looked up as Kíli burst through the door. Thorin smiled, saying, “By the look on your face, you have good news.”

“Yes,” Kíli agreed, beaming. “I stood up to those bullies and told them what you told me, and they ran away!”

Thorin stood and embraced his nephew. “That was a brave thing to do.”

Kíli pulled away and planted his fists on his waist. “I am a man, after all,” he said proudly.

A smile, with just a touch of wistfulness, spread across Thorin’s face. “Just like your uncle Frerin.”

**Author's Note:**

> The song is from 4Him.


End file.
